Rotary-switch lubricator



March 31, 1931, p, BRUGGER 1,798,450

RQTARY SWITCH LUBRICATOR Filed Sept. 25. 1929 f f/ ZT Alf j PatentedMar. 3l, 1931 JOHN 1. BRUGGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ROTARY-SWITCHLUBRICATOR Application ied September 25, 1929. Serial No. 394,967.

10 of rotary switches, it has been found that the drum segments requireproper lubrication to increase the efficiency of the switches.Heretofore numerous attempts have been made to equip the drum segmentswith graph- 15 ite strips or small circular sections embedded 1nrecesses provided in the drum segments. This arrangement has not provensatisfactory and in order to properly lubricate the drum segments of`rotary type switches used on power panels and the like, this inventionhas been devised for the purpose of providing resiliently supportedlubricating members which are adapted to be conveniently and removablycarried on the contact fingers of the rotary switch and in resilientcontact with the contact surfaces of the drum segments of the rotarymembers of the switch to eiiiciently lubricate the same continuouslyduring the operation of the rotary switch.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved lubricatingdevice adapted for use on rotary type switches and adapted to beremovably mounted on the contact lingers of the switch, withoutreconstruction of the same, and in resilient lubricating contact withthe rotary drum segments of the switch.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improvedlubricating mechanism adapted to be mounted on the contact fingers of arotary type switch and rfurther adapted to be held in resilient contactwith the drum segments of the switch with which the contact surfaces ofthe contact fingers are also engaged.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rotary type ofswitch with an improved lubricating device adapted to be held removablyin position upon the contact fingers of the switch by means of thefinger control springs and the adjusting screw control springs to permitthe lubricating head of the device to be resiliently held in contactwith the drum segments of the rotary members with which the contactfingers are also engaged.

It is an important object of this invention to equip rotary type ofcontrol switches with lubricating members which are carried' on springarms which are adapted to be removably engaged on the contact fingers ofthe switch by means of the regular finger control springs and theadjusting screw control springs which form standard parts of the rotaryswitch equipment.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion ofa power panel oard having mounted thereon a vertical type of rotarycontrol switch showing one of the contact fingers of the switch equippedwith an improved lubricating device embodying the principles of thisinvention and illustrated in contact with one of the drum segments ofone of the rotary units of the switch.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a rotary typeswitch contact finger removed from a power panel and equipped with animproved lubricating device embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View of t-he switch contact finger andthe lubricating device taken on line III-III of Figure 2 with partsshown in elevation.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of a cont-rol power panel orboard having mounted thereon a rotary type control switch comprisingupper and lower shaft bearing brackets 2 rigidly secured to the panel lfor supporting a switch drum shaft 3, the main body portion of which iscovered by means of an insulating shaft tube upon which a plurality ofspaced wheels or drum sections 4 are mounted. Each of the switch drumsections is provided with a mutilated or split rim comprising contactsegments 5 and 6. Secured on the panel 1 adjacent each of the drumsections or units 4 is a contact finger support or arm 7 having a screwor bolt 8 secured thereto. Positioned adjacent the support or arm 7 isthe inner end of a contact linger 9 having an opening 10 therein throughwhich the screw 8 projects. Integrally formed on the inner end of thecontact finger 9 is a pivot shoulder 11 which seats upon the support 7.VEngaged around the screw or bolt 8 is a finger control coiled spring 12the upper end of which seats in a washer ring cap 13 mounted on the bodyof the screw below the screw head. The lower end of the control spring12 normally seats against the top surface of the finger 9 andresiliently holds the same in contact with the finger support 7. Aconductor 14 has one end thereof connected to the pivoted end of thecontact finger 9 and the other end connected with the contact fingersupport 7. Also mounted on the contact finger 9 to the outside of thescrew or bolt 8 is an adjusting screw 15 having a bow control spring 16engaged thereon as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. The adjusting screw15 projects through a threaded aperture in the contact finger 9 and isprovided to coact with the contact finger support 7 to limit the swingof said contact finger toward the contact finger support to afford anarrangement to prevent the rounded contact head or knob 17 fromdescending too far into the notches or spaces 18 provided between thecontact segments 5 and 6 of the switch drum unit. The contact head orknob 17 is secured on the underside of the outer end of the contactfinger 9 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 and is adapted to normally beheld in resilient frictional contact with the outer peripheral surfacesof the switch contact segments 5 and 6. The parts hereinbefore describedin detail and designated by the reference numerals 1 to 18 inclusive.are standard parts of a rotary drum type switch used on power panels andsimilar devices.

` For the purpose of affording proper lubrication between thc drum unitcontact segments 5 and 6 and the contact head 17 of the contact iinger9, the improved lubricator embodying the principles of this inventionhas been devised for use in continuously lubri-V cating the contactparts of the rotary switch and may be mounted in position withoutrequiring any alterationor rearrangement of the standard parts of therotary switch. rlhe improved rotary switch lubricator comp fises aresilient metal arm 19 which is slightly curved and which is providedwith an opening 20 near one end thereof to permit the screw post 8 to beprojected therethrough. The lubricator arm 19 is also provided with anopening through which the adjusting screw 15 is adapted to project. Asillustrated in Figure 3, the lubricator arm 19 is adapted to have itssupporting end seated in the channel groove of the contact finger 9 withthe screw post 8 and the adjusting screw 15 projecting therethrough. Thecurved outer portion of the lubricator arm 19 is resiliently heldfulcrumed or seated upon a fulcrum member or projection formed on theprojecting end of the shank or shaft 21 of the contact head 17. The bowspring 16 engaged on the adjusting screw 15 acts to resiliently hold thearm 19 in contact with the fulcrum member 21. The coiled spring 12 hasthe lower end thereof seated against the inner end of the lubricator arm19 to hold the same seated in contact with the contact linger 9 asclearly illustrated in Figure 3. The outer end of the lubricator arm 19projects beyond the end of' Athe Contact finger 9 and curves toward thedrum unit of the switch and is provided with an enlarged head or plate22 having a plurality of pointed teeth or projections 23 cut therefromand directed downwardly toward the outer end of the lubricator arm. Theteeth 23 are provided for the purpose of projecting into and holding alubricating pad or block 24 in position with the lower surface of saidlubricating pad resiliently held in* rubbing contact with the peripheralsurface of the drum segments 5 and l6. The advance edge of thelubricating pad 24 is cut off to provide a bevelled or chamfered surface25V to permit the outer end of the lubricating pad to engage and rideover the chamfered surface or edge 26 of an advancing switch segmentwhen the drum units are in operation. The lubricating pad 24 may beconstructed of felt or any other .suitable material adapt-y ed to besaturated with a lubricant which may be deposited in required quantitiesupon vthe contact surfaces of the switch segments 5 and 6 during theoperation of the rotary switch. The lubricating pad 24 is resilientlyrheld in contact with the drum segments 5 and 6 depending upon theadjustment of the coil.- trol springs-12 and 16 which also govern theresilient contact between Ythe contact finger head 17 and the drumsegments of the switch.

The improved lubricating device of this invention as hereinbeforedescribed is adapted to be readily mounted in position upon the contactfinger of a rotary or reversedrum type switch, and furthermore isadapted to be removably held in position by the standard spring controlparts of the contact finger, such for example,as the control spring 12and the adjusting screw spring 16. When mounted in position asdescribed, the improved' lubricator is adapted to resiliently hold thelubricating pad or block in resilient frictional contact with thecontact surfacesof the drum segments 5 and 6 of the rotary switch. Itwill be'noted that the adjustment ofthe adjusting screw control spring16 not only acts to hold the adjusting screw in a set position ofadjustment but furthermore serves as a resilient retaining means forholding the mounted end of the lubricator arm 19 resiliently seated inthe channel of the contact finger 9. The improved lubricating device ofthis invention may be readily mounted in position by any attendant ofthe power panel and the device is furthermore so constructed that thelubricating pad 24 may be easily replaced with a new lubricating padwhen the same becomes worn. The lubricator also affords a positive meansof continually lubrieating the contact segments during the operation ofthe rotary switch. While the pointed teeth 23 have been described asaffording a means whereby the lubricating pad 24 may be secured inposition on the head 22 of the lubricating device, it will of course beunder- Stood that any other suitable means may be used for removablysecuring a lubricating pad on the resilient lubricator arm 19.

It will of course be understood that many details of construction may bevaried through a wide range without departing from the principles ofthis invention and it is therefore not purposed limiting the patentgranted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a rotary switch contact segment, of a contactfinger engaged therewith, spring means for holding the contact finger inresilient contact with the contact segment, a spring controlledadjusting screw on said contact finger, an arm on said contact fingerheld in position by said spring means and said spring controlledadjusting screw, and a lubricating member carried by said arm and havingcontact with the contact segment of the switch to lubricate theI same.

2. A rotary switch lubricator comprising in combination a rotarycontact, a stationary support, a pivoted contact finger thereon coactingwith said rotary contact and having an opening and a threaded aperturetherein, an apertured arm seated on said contact finger and projectingbeyond one end thereof, a bolt secured to said support and projectingthrough said apertured arm and through the opening in said contactfinger, a finger control spring coiled around said bolt and seatedagainst said arm to resiliently hold the contact linger in pivotedcontact with said support, an adusting screw engaged through said armand threaded through the threaded aperture in said contact finger forco-action with said support, a control spring engaged on said screw andcontacting said arm, and a lubricating member carried on the projectingend of said arm for lubricating the rotary contact.

3. In a rotary switch device the combination with a movable contact, ofa stationary support, a Contact finger pivoted on said support forco-action with said movable contact, a resilient arm on said contactfinger and projecting beyond one end thereof, a lubricating means on theprojecting end of said arm for lubricating the movable contact, a boltsecured to said support and projecting through saidcontact finger andthrough said arm, an adjusting screw projecting through said arm andthrough said contact finger, and spring members engaged on said bolt andon said screw to resiliently hold the arm seated on said contact finger.

4. In a rotary switch device the combination with a stationary support,of a rotary contact mounted adjacent thereto, a contact linger pivotedon said support for co-action with said contact, a lubricating mechanismsupported on said contact finger for lubricating the rotary contact, aplurality of springs for holding the lubricating mechanism in position,and members for mounting said springs, with one of said members securedto the stationary support and the other member adjustably connected withsaid contact finger for co-action with the stationary support.

5. The combination with a rotary switch contact, of a pivoted contactfinger co-acting therewith, a lubricating device on said contact fingerfor lubricating the rotary switch contact, and a plurality of spacedspring mechanisms engaging the lubricating device to hold the sameyresiliently supported on the contact finger, one of said springmechanisms serving as a mounting for the contact finger and the other ofsaid spring mechanisms positioned for co-action with the first mentionedspring mechanism to limit the pivotal movement of the Contact finger.

6. The combination with a rotary switch contact, of a movable contactlinger co-acting therewith, a fulcrum member on said contact finger, aflexible arm on said contact finger seated on the fulcrum member andprojecting beyond one end of the contact finger, a. lubricating deviceon the projecting end of said arm to lubricate the rotary switchcontact, spring means for holding the inner end of said arm in Contactwith the contact finger, an adjusting screw adjustably engaged throughsaid arm and the contact finger, and a resilient member on said screwand engaging said arm to resiliently hold the same in contact with thecontact finger and said fulcrum member and furthermore serving as aresilient stop for the upward movement of said arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, CookCounty, f

Illinois.

JOHN P. BRUGGER.

